I went to the Austin Film Festival’s French Legation BBQ on Friday and ran into Christen McArdle, the executive director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, who reminded me about their battle for state funding without censorship of the films that they show. I am hoping to meet up with Christen and get some more information, but in the meantime, she sent me a helpful link that explains the situation to date. We are no strangers to lack of government support for media arts, and should Ann Arbor Festival prevail in their federal suit, perhaps some doors could open? (NEA?)

“In early 2006 a group of legislators politically attacked the Ann Arbor Film Festival and cut its state funding to set an example for art they deemed ‘objectionable.’ The AAFF is fighting back with a federal lawsuit to challenge ambiguous state funding guidelines, protect artists’ freedom of speech, and to set an example of how an arts organization can respond creatively and successfully to defend its mission. The AAFF believes that public support of diverse artistic voices is critical to a healthy culture and democracy.” Read more>>